California Outdoors for the week of 7/25/2013

Question: My dog is often hard to follow when we’re hiking through heavy cover. Is it legal to use GPS tracking devices on dogs while hunting?

—Mark M.

Answer: GPS collars may be used on dogs only when bird hunting but are prohibited when hunting mammals. Electronic dog retrieval collars employing the use of global positioning system equipment (devices that utilize satellite transmissions) are prohibited on dogs used for the pursuit/take of mammals (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 265(d)(2)).

Lighted fishing lures

Question: I have begun to see fishing lures for sale on eBay that are LED-lighted. Are these legal in California?I fish the Sacramento and Feather rivers.

—Donna B.

Answer: Yes. There are no prohibitions against using LED-lighted lures in either fresh or salt water.

Gun for protection

Question: I am an avid bow hunter and spend most of the archery season stalking deer and bear in the deep canyons, and walking from ridgeline to ridgeline carrying nothing but my bow and my two knives.

However, I have not been able to continue my tradition of solo cross-country hunting trips recently due to the high numbers of marijuana gardens being found and raided in my hunting zone. I am not sure of the ethnicity of the marijuana farmers, but I have family in south Texas and they have told me stories of the Mexican drug cartels kidnapping people and forcing them to go into the wilderness and farm these big marijuana gardens. These people have strict orders to shoot anyone that may cause a threat to the crop.

After hearing this, I stay a whole lot closer to main roads and out of canyons but am still fearful of being confronted by these guys with guns when I just have my bow and the bear deterrent I carry in bear country. My question is why can’t I, being an American citizen, have a firearm in my possession while bow hunting? Doesn’t the Second Amendment give me the right to bear arms? This was just a question that crossed my mind today as I was deer hunting and I hope you can answer it for me.

—Vincent W.

Answer: Iappreciate your concern and understand you wanting to be safe while in the woods.But, under current California Fish and Game laws, if you choose to hunt during an archery-only (AO) season or during the general season under the authority of an AO harvest tag, it is not legal for you to be in possession of a firearm while in the field.

However, AO tags/seasons are only oneoption; you can instead choose to huntduring thegeneral season under a general tag with a bow, and if so you may carry a firearm.Hunting under the AO authority grants special opportunity in exchange for leaving the firearm in camp.

With respect to archery-only hunts for deer, in order to allow the possession of firearms by anyone other than peace officers, Fish and Game Code, section 4370, would have to be amended. For other archery-only hunts, the Fish and Game Commission would need to amend the applicable regulations for those hunts. It is not up to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Ivory piano keys

Question: My mother has an old piano that has been in her family for about 70 years and she needs to sell it. She says it has ivory keys. We were wondering if it would violate any fish and game laws to sell it. If so, any suggestions?

—Cathi D.

Answer: African and Asian elephants are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is the principle federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing the act and convention, and federal regulations do allow for some elephant ivory to be owned, bought and sold. You should contact the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 800-344-9453 or their website at fws.gov for further information regarding federal restrictions.

Neither the California Fish and Game Code nor state wildlife regulations enforced by the CDFW reference elephants or elephant products.

Pier fishing

Question: Do we need an ocean enforcement stamp to fish on a pier?

—Sher K.

Answer: No sport fishing license or ocean enhancement validation is required when fishing from a public pier.

Carrie Wilsonis a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Contact her at Cal.Outdoors@wildlife.ca.gov.